


Space Shenanigans

by forevermint



Series: The Road Not Taken [50]
Category: Doctor Who, The Morganville Vampires - Rachel Caine
Genre: Gen, I'm bored and posting this here even if it doesn't have context, he's stuck in the house, not a quarantine story but might as well be, stay at home
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:34:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26188039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forevermint/pseuds/forevermint
Summary: Myrnin has been stuck in the house for a while, so Missy has to get a bit creative to keep him entertained. Space shenanigans when Myrnin isn't able to go anywhere during those 10 years, so Missy sort of brings him alien visitors.
Relationships: Missy & Myrnin, Myrnin & Fredrick
Series: The Road Not Taken [50]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1558276





	Space Shenanigans

**Author's Note:**

> The Road Not Taken AU story. Doctor Who addition.

One week in Morganville was much like another. Particularly when Myrnin had already lived through this week. And the one before and the one to come after. If he'd been a bit more aware, he supposed he could have placed bets on what would happen. As it was, there was the distress that he couldn't actually change anything - shouldn't change anything - and that even if he wanted to there probably wasn't a way to reach his influence outside the bounds of this house.  
Needless to say his one and only housemate wasn't one to try and change history. Myrnin supposed he was lucky that the physically older vampire wanted to talk to him at all. Myrnin knew they had slightly different fields of science, though both were interested in the other's work, and slightly different brands of hyperactivity when they got excited about something. Myrnin was fairly sure that if Fredrick hadn't had a job, which meant he wasn't there all the time, he would have gotten sick of Myrnin completely.  
Luckily that was not the case and Fredrick actually seemed inclined to be on good terms.  
Albeit boring terms.  
That was just it.  
It was *just* Fredrick. The odd little psychic didn't even come over anymore, though Myrnin was sure that she wasn't unaware of his presence here.  
Fredrick seemed inclined to keep him under the radar.  
Which had Myrnin bouncing off the walls half the time.  
Was it any wonder he bounced off them a bit more when, occasionally, there was an evening where Missy would come?  
They hadn't brought the TARDIS since the first time. Now they just seemed to bring a vortex manipulator. Myrnin assumed so the Doctor wouldn't find out about the visits.  
The vampire - ghost - whatever, wasn't sure whether that was a good thing. He figured that the Doctor would find out sooner or later. After all, she was a Time Lord. That sort of had several perks to finding out the identity of the old friend you thought was dead. And Missy was only as good about keeping secrets as Myrnin was, or so Myrnin categorized.   
But either way, the little sound of decompressed air moving away from a figure appearing in the living room never ceased to pull him out of whatever distracting project he was doing in an effort to while away the days. Maybe he could invent a better iPhone out of plywood and old popsicle sticks.  
Myrnin pushed himself out of the rolling desk chair, bare feet hitting each stair as he jumped down them until he practically ran into Missy.  
"Where have you been?" he half whined, even though he knew the answer.  
The Time Lord hurriedly stepped back so the over-excited Myrnin wouldn't stomp on their shoes.  
"I have a family to take care of," they reminded Myrnin.  
Myrnin stepped back, holding in a pout. "Yeah yeah. You also have a *time machine*. Your excuse is flimsy."  
Missy shrugged. "Still an excuse."  
That was true and Myrnin took it like the other times. It wasn't like the gaps between Missy popping in were too long. Myrnin just keep holding in the fact that he really didn't have anyone *else* to bug. Couldn't drag in random humans off the street.  
"What did you do?" he asked after a second. "Anything ... interesting? Go anywhere interesting?"  
Anywhere more interesting than the inside of Fredrick's house.  
Missy though for a second. "Well, there was Russia for a school project, but that's all I can think of off the top of my head."  
Myrnin shifted back again and Missy walked past until they could pull a book off one of the shelves Fredrick had in the living room. They'd been reading it, or Myrnin assumed they'd been reading it, every time they dropped in. Between instances of Myrnin trying to think of something to actually do that didn't extend outside the walls.  
Myrnin flopped into one of the armchairs.   
"Are you honestly just going to read again?" he asked.  
Missy looked up from where they were flipping through the pages of the book, meeting Myrnin's eyes.  
"I'm not playing Jenga again. Unless you have a better idea then yes. Probably."  
Myrnin huffed and crossed his arms. He'd worked out that complaining sometimes encouraged Missy to leave and right now the lack of social interaction was killing him.  
Figuratively speaking, of course. You could only be so much of a recluse.  
"Have you been working on anything?" Missy asked. Myrnin felt like they were probably indulging him, since they hadn't looked up from the book as they sat on one side of the couch.  
"No," said Myrnin dully. "Not since the last time. I'm *bored*."  
That was rather a given, considering.  
"What I'm disappointed in," he said with a sigh, "is that there isn't any way for me to leave. I know that there's a case for ghosts leaving Founder houses later on, but I don't know the details and it wasn't studied. I think it would take me several dozen years at best before I could do it."  
Several dozen years which he didn't have. He had about eight years.  
"We've had this conversation," Missy said over the top of the book. Myrnin stared at the back of their hands. Glared at them really. He was still trying to think of something.  
Finally, he muttered, "Wish we could *go* somewhere. You stuck here, me stuck here ... doesn't seem natural. You in particular. Going to another planet would be cool right about now."  
He was pouting again. Today seemed to be a day worthy of pouting.  
Missy tipped the book a bit to look over the top of it, then returned it to its previous position. They didn't make a comment.  
Myrnin rolled off his seat, flopping onto the floor with a more audible "whomp" than a ghost - even with a physical body - should have been allowed. Laying on his back, looking up at the ceiling, Myrnin could feel the house thrum against his shoulder blades. Like an electrical current that he only noticed if he was paying attention, passing from it to him and back again. He could almost *sense* the walls and floors and ceilings of the building itself, if it let him.  
"Wish you'd brought the TARDIS again," he said softly. "Just so I could see if I could get further into it."  
The fact he hadn't even been here a year was the pain. If he was dealing with things like this after only a couple of months then he wasn't sure how much he liked it the closer it got to yet another of his implied destruction.  
Eyes closing, he did pay attention to the house.  
Even if he somehow survived - and Missy had suggested there was some sort of plan - then he wasn't sure it would.  
Yet another of his creations, having an almost existence, that would die.  
The snap of a book closing had Myrnin's eyes flying open and he sat up.  
Missy had already gotten to their feet.  
"What?" Myrnin asked. He frowned as Missy leaned down to look at him, the book still balanced in their grip as they did.  
"If you're going to sleep on the floor, I don't need to be here."  
Getting to his feet at once, Myrnin gasped, "Was not sleeping! I was *listening*. To the house."  
Lower lip poking out, he muttered, "*It* says not to leave."  
Missy rolled their eyes. "It would be a bit more interesting if it did talk. I have to get back. The Doctor."  
They were already using a couple spare fingers to roll up their sleeve. Myrnin's frown deepened.  
"Wouldn't it be easier just to t -" he started, then shook his head. He knew that Missy wouldn't listen to him. Wouldn't tell the Doctor. "Are you coming back soon?" he tried instead.  
"When I can," was Missy's non-answer. "Try watching *Emma*. It should be on the internet somewhere."  
"Left to another movie recommendation," Myrnin moaned, flopping backwards onto the couch again. Drearily, he raised a hand and waved several fingers in goodbye. Less than a second later, Missy winked out of existence.  
\---  
(((3 Days Later)))  
It was daylight when Missy appeared again, hand still on their vortex manipulator. Another hand clutched a case.  
They'd appeared near the shadow of Fredrick's house. Not inside it, but on the backside of the house. There was a … quaint … porch. There wasn't much to be said for it. It looked unused.  
Myrnin wouldn't be around at this time. He only appeared in the daytime. Missy leaned back a bit so they could look at the upper stories. There was always a chance that Myrnin was watching. The Time Lord shrugged and dumped the case they were carrying onto the porch. The clasp sprung open and Missy waited a second, not really paying attention as they whistled something under their breath. Then they leaned over and picked up the case. It was lighter.  
That should keep Vampy distracted for a week or so.  
\---  
(((2 Days Later)))  
It hurt. It always hurt. Like someone was strangling him, even if he didn't actually need to breathe. Which was amazing, since actually having a physical neck was something he only got to experience for as long as the moon was up.   
Myrnin tumbled back into existence in the same location he'd died in. The living room.  
He braced his hand against the nearest windowsill as another and apparently the last wave of excruciating pain rocked through his body. He pressed his fingers against the wood, hearing its creak of protest, and finally sheathed his fangs as the pain faded. He rubbed at his neck, even though there was no sign that he'd previously had a bit of an … issue around that location.  
"Appreciate my continued existence," Myrnin muttered. "But I'm getting darn tired of dying every morning and evening."  
He knew it wasn't the house's fault. He patted the windowsill as he pushed away from it.  
A bit different from all the other days, the wood tapped back, something dartingjust out of view through a crack..  
Myrnin frowned and tilted his head, paying attention to what he'd just heard and saw. After a second, he called out, "Fredrick?"  
His friend usually left for work around this time. A fact that Myrnin hated dearly. But he couldn't ask Fredrick to change his schedule too much. (Fredrick had said no already. Very firmly.)  
The other vampire, already half outfitted in the clothing he used for work, appeared around the corner. Adjusting a sleeve, he looked Myrnin up and down.   
Myrnin was grateful that his own clothing at least didn't change back to what he'd died in. It was just his body that remained the same. No hair cuts for him.  
"This house has been screened for termites, right?" asked Myrnin, pointing toward the wall.  
Fredrick dropped his hand away from his sleeve and frowned as he stepped further into the room. "Yes? Why?"  
"Very good question," said Myrnin, stepping back toward the window. "I heard something in the walls."  
"Can it wait?" Fredrick asked with suspicion. Myrnin wondered if this had anything to do with all the times he'd pulled Fredrick aside to help him with something.  
Distantly, Myrnin felt … not movement, but almost a tug from the house.  
"Yes?" he answered with the same tone that Fredrick had given before. He was confident that something was going on, but he didn't mind. It wasn't like Fredrick was going to be interested in this particular venture.   
Fredrick ducked out of the room. In the meantime, Myrnin pressed an ear to the wall. Nothing. He was sure he had heard something.   
…  
He was easily distracted. Myrnin, however, found it so much easier to pay attention to this new thing than what he had previously been planning for the day - which had been nothing, so all the better.   
Dancing from room to room, Myrnin kept as much attention as he could on the house. It wasn't an extension of his body. He couldn't see everything that went on within its walls. But it did tell him things. He could tell that something was up and that it was in the building. It was just a matter of working out what it was.  
There were other noises, ones that he didn't completely place. Not an animal. Not a large animal. And either it was very quick or there was more than one.   
"Hum," Myrnin said, spinning in the middle of the living room. It was with a bit of attention that Myrnin hurried to the kitchen. It was with more difficulty that he leaned over, scrambled under the table and then to the drawer under the sink.   
He threw it open, then reached his hand in. There was a stronger sound of sudden movement. But there wasn't even enough time to grab whatever it was that was suddenly in the house.   
Myrnin had time to spot an oddly shaped tail. His pupils didn't have time to widen further before it disappeared into a space behind the pipes.   
"Very hum," said Myrnin.   
\---  
(((1 Day Later)))

"And you haven't seen them directly yet?" asked Fredrick.  
He held open the door as Myrnin squeezed into the crawl space behind the pantry shelves. The vampire leaned over, examining the corners of the little space. In times of old, it was a place that was used to store … snacks. Vampire snacks.  
Nothing of the kind resided there now. Just a darker rustling in the corner.  
"Not so far," said Myrnin softly.  
He lowered himself to the ground and looked into the corners.   
There was movement and Myrnin caught a glimpse of a dark brown and amber cylinder slipping it's way through some floorboards. Myrnin darted forward and wiggled a finger through the nearest knothole. He could tell Fredrick was stiffening behind him, since he was putting very biteable appendages where they shouldn't be. He didn't care much. He could just regenerate. He hadn't had that experience yet, but he wasn't going to focus on that outcome unless it came up.   
To his surprise, something soft and fuzzy brushed against his index finger. He slowly brought it out and was more surprised when the cylinder came along with it.  
Pupils widening until he had a better view of what he was holding, Myrnin was careful to move slowly.   
"What are you?" he murmured.   
"Looks like a bug to me," said Fredrick from the door.   
That was a possibility, but it wasn't one that Myrnin was familiar with. And with Missy around there was all the more reason to doubt it was native to Earth.   
"Whaaaaat are you, friend?" asked Myrnin.   
There were a couple of fluorescent lights on the tube-like back. Then a slim tail (Myrnin assumed it was the tail) and two antennae in the front. It resembled a caterpillar.  
As soon as he noted that, the caterpillar-like creature jumped off his finger, back briefly glowing before it landed and disappeared somewhere into the floor again.  
"Not from Earth," Myrnin noted.  
He glanced back at Fredrick and grinned.  
"Wonder what they are."  
He crouched down again. In this case, maybe space had come to him.   
Missy had thought up something a bit more original this time.   
\---  
(((3 Days Later)))  
"You infested my house with space caterpillars!"  
"Only a little," said Missy. "And they're not caterpillars."  
"What are they?" asked Myrnin, leaning over the kitchen table with interest. "I wasn't able to catch one for any length of time. They seem to be able to slip through the smallest crack."  
"Are you going to un-infest my house?" asked Fredrick.   
Missy frowned at him, then glanced at Myrnin's eager expression. It was likely that they were more willing to address Myrnin than they were the other vampire.   
"Yeah. So. Space caterpillars." Their voice was droll and contained an eyeroll. "Was that enough "space shenanigans" for you?" This was addressed to Myrnin, who almost at once started nodding his head.   
"Yes! So … about the *next* thing …"


End file.
